The Apple HomePod, the iPhone maker's answer to the Amazon Echo and Google Home smart speakers, has gone on sale.
Powered by the Siri voice assistant, Apple hopes to put the speaker at the center of its HomeKit smart home plans, as the one device to rule not only your playlists, but your entire in-home connected ecosystem.
Priced at $349 / £319 / AU$499, pre-order sales saw stock swallowed up by keen Apple fans. But while Apple stores may be in short supply of the speaker, you're likely to have more luck at the many third-party retailers also offering the curvy speaker.
Smart enough?
But is it worth your time? As you'll see in our hands on Apple HomePod review, there's a lot to love about the audio quality of the speaker, even if Siri's smart features have some catching up to do to match its Amazon rival.
Again, Apple's insistence on forcing its users into its walled garden limits the device's appeal (you better make sure you're ready to cough up for an Apple Music subscription to get the most out of the HomePod, for example). But with some time for Siri to expand its functionality, the sheen of Apple's premium design sensibilities is still present.
We'll have a full review of the HomePod shortly, so keep your eyes peeled for its arrival.
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